Lakes State parliament names specialized committees, two counties undecided

November 22, 2012 (RUMBEK) – South Sudan’s Lakes State named new chairpersons for 16 specialized parliamentary committees on Thursday, although two positions remain unfilled due to disagreement between MPs from two counties.

Members of the Lakes State Legislative Assembly representing Wulu County, located to the south of the state capital Rumbek and Yirol West County, located to east of the state, have been unable to agree who will serve on the remaining two committees.

Lakes State Speaker, John Marik Makur, said Thursday that the debate between Wulu and Yirol West County representatives remains “heated” and unresolved.

The chairpersons of the committees were nominated by the Lakes State’s eight county electoral colleges and endorsed by the Speaker with a majority vote from the state’s 49 MPs.

In October, Speaker Makur dissolved all 18 specialized committees after two thirds of MPs demanded a reduction to the period chairpersons of state parliamentary committees served. After an impassioned debate MPs voted to reduce the term limit of the parliamentary groups from five to two years.

During the briefing in parliament, Makur urged MPs to cooperate and to unite for the interest of the people of Lakes State.

(ST)